Namhyuk squinted his eyes at the glaring sunlight that seemed out of place. He took a few cautious steps, surprised when his feet did not sink into the water below. Instead, it felt as though he were walking on solid ground, even though he could see the ripples of the sea beneath him.
"Where am I? Didn't I… die?" Namhyuk murmured, confusion clouding his thoughts. He recalled shoving Seokjin into the portal, sacrificing himself for the team. The next thing he knew, he was standing in this vast, shimmering sea. He glanced around in bewilderment, half-expecting to see the familiar faces of his friends or the darkness of death.
But instead, he saw a figure that made his breath hitch—a figure that mirrored his own appearance.
"Namhyuk."
The voice was familiar, almost like an echo of his own, but softer and more composed. Namhyuk whipped around, his eyes widening as he took in the sight of a person standing a few feet away. It was like looking into a mirror. The figure had the same sharp jawline, the same intense gaze, the same messy locks of hair—but this wasn't just any reflection.
"Namjoon…" Namhyuk whispered in disbelief. "You're Namjoon. The Namjoon everyone's been searching for."
Namjoon's lips curled into a gentle smile, one that seemed weighted by a thousand emotions. "Yes, I know. I know everything that's been happening. I've been here all along, watching."
Namhyuk's gaze shifted around once more, taking in the glittering expanse of water that stretched infinitely. "Where is this place? It feels… surreal."
Namjoon's smile didn't waver as he looked out at the sea. "This is our crystal space. A sanctuary created from our essence. It's beautiful, isn't it?" His voice held a wistfulness that tugged at something deep within Namhyuk's chest.
Namhyuk nodded slowly, taking in the luminescent waves that shimmered under a light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. "Yeah… it really is." He couldn't help but admire the tranquility of the place. It felt strangely peaceful, despite the turmoil that churned within him.
Namjoon stepped forward and held out a hand. Namhyuk hesitated for a moment before taking it, feeling an odd sense of familiarity in the gesture. Namjoon's grip was firm but reassuring, and Namhyuk found himself following him across the sea as if it were the most natural thing to do.
They walked in silence until they reached a particular spot on the water's surface. Namhyuk felt his breath catch as he looked up. There, high above them, the sky was fractured—like a mirror shattered into pieces, with rays of sunlight piercing through the cracks. The sunlight was concentrated on a single spot in the sea, creating a radiant pool of light that shimmered like liquid gold.
"What… is that?" Namhyuk asked, eyes widening as he stared at the surreal sight.
Namjoon's gaze remained fixed on the fractured sky. "Our hybrid core. Or rather… what's left of it." He let out a soft sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly. "I gave a part of it to Joon-wo."
Namhyuk turned his gaze back to Namjoon, noticing for the first time the subtle lines of exhaustion etched onto his face. He had so many questions swirling in his mind, but one thing was clear—Namjoon had suffered, more than Namhyuk could imagine. He wanted to understand, to know what had happened to the brother everyone was desperate to find.
"Why would you do that?" Namhyuk began, then stopped himself. Maybe Namjoon wasn't ready to answer that question. Maybe he would never be. Instead, Namhyuk decided to voice what had been plaguing his mind since the moment he saw Namjoon.
"I… I saw glimpses," Namhyuk murmured softly, lying down on the water's surface and staring up at the broken sky. "Glimpses of your past. It was like watching a blurry, incomplete memory. I saw you struggling, alone. I know you went through a lot, Namjoon. I know you did everything you could to protect everyone, even when you were hurting."
Namjoon's smile faltered for a moment. He lowered himself onto the water beside Namhyuk, lying on his back and looking up at the fractured sky. "You saw that, huh?" His voice was quiet, almost contemplative. "Maybe… maybe it's better that way. You only saw a little."
Namhyuk shook his head. "I don't want to just see glimpses. I want to understand… all of it. I want to know what you went through, what your life was like when I wasn't there by your side."
Namjoon turned his head, his eyes meeting Namhyuk's. There was a rawness in his gaze, an openness that spoke of old scars and hidden pain. "Why, Namhyuk? Why do you want to know?"
"Because I'm your brother, and you're mine," Namhyuk said firmly, his eyes never wavering from Namjoon's. "Maybe I can't change what happened. Maybe I can't take away the pain. But if I can understand… if I can listen, then maybe—just maybe—I can help you heal, even if it's just a little."
Namjoon's breath caught. He stared at Namhyuk, a myriad of emotions flitting across his face—surprise, disbelief, hope. "You really think so?" he asked softly.
"I don't know," Namhyuk admitted, his voice gentle. "But I want to try. I want to hear your story, everything you went through… when I wasn't there to support you."
Namjoon's eyes shimmered, and for the first time, he looked vulnerable—completely and utterly vulnerable. "It's not a pretty story, Namhyuk. There's a lot of darkness… a lot of mistakes."
"Then I'll listen to the darkness," Namhyuk replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Because I want to know *you*, Namjoon. Not the person everyone expects you to be, not the legend everyone talks about. Just… you."
Namjoon let out a shaky breath, a soft, bitter chuckle escaping him. "You're different, you know that? I've always thought of myself as strong, but you… you're stronger than I ever was. You're willing to face what others would rather forget."
Namhyuk didn't respond, simply tightening his grip on Namjoon's hand. The two of them lay there, side by side, staring up at the broken sky. The silence between them was no longer heavy but comforting, like the calm after a storm.
Namjoon's voice was low, almost a whisper, as if speaking any louder would shatter the fragile calm between them. Namhyuk didn't interrupt, watching his brother's face as he began to unravel the tangled threads of his past—threads soaked in pain and stained with bitterness.
"My life… it's not special," Namjoon began, staring up at the fractured sky above them. His eyes were distant, as if reliving a story that he would rather forget. "I was captured by Byung Ho when I was a kid. I barely remember what life was like before that. He took me in… gave me a place to stay, fed me, taught me. And for a while, I thought I should be grateful."
Namhyuk's brows furrowed in concern. "Grateful?" he repeated softly, disbelief lacing his tone. "For what? For taking away your freedom?"
Namjoon let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "For existing. At least, that's what he drilled into me. He trained me like a madman, molded me into something I didn't want to be. Punishment was always at his fingertips. He'd tell me I was lucky, that he saved me, that I should be thankful for the roof over my head, the food on my plate."
Namhyuk could hear the bitterness lacing his brother's words, a bitterness that had been suppressed for so long it had turned into something sharp and unyielding. He swallowed, his chest tightening with each word that Namjoon spoke.
"And the worst part?" Namjoon continued, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "I didn't know any better. I believed him. I thought, 'If I do well, if I obey, maybe… just maybe, I'll become someone important, someone worthy of love.'" He shook his head, the smile disappearing. "But all I became was a dog. A loyal, mindless dog trained to bite whoever he ordered me to."
Namhyuk felt a surge of anger, not at Namjoon but at the man who had twisted him into this version of himself. "That's not who you are, Namjoon," Namhyuk murmured fiercely, his hand tightening around his brother's. "You were never just a dog. You were more than that. So much more."
Namjoon's gaze softened slightly, but there was still a shadow of pain lingering in his eyes. "Byung Ho gave me his son's identity, made me his shield. If someone threatened his real son, I was the one to take the fall. I was the one sent into the most dangerous situations. I was the expendable one."
He let out a shuddering breath, the memories washing over him like a tidal wave. "Every time he would blackmail me, saying that if I didn't do what he asked, my comrades—people I grew to care about—would suffer. He forced me to do things… terrible things. Nasty, dirty work that went against everything I believed in. I had no say, no freedom. I didn't even have the right to my own thoughts."
Namhyuk's grip on Namjoon's hand tightened. He could hear the pain, the resentment, the anger in Namjoon's voice. It was like a dam had broken, and everything Namjoon had kept bottled up for years was spilling out in a torrent of emotion.
"I had nothing, Namhyuk," Namjoon whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "Not a family, not a home. Not even the freedom to choose what I wanted to become. All I had was Byung Ho's commands. Do this. Kill him. Ruin her. I was like a puppet, and every time I tried to resist, he'd remind me that he was the one who gave me life. That I should be grateful to him for everything."
Namhyuk's heart ached at the rawness in Namjoon's voice. "But… didn't you ever try to break free?" he asked hesitantly.
Namjoon shook his head slowly, his gaze still fixed on the shimmering water beneath them. "No, Namhyuk. I never tried to escape. Byung Ho's control over me was absolute. I didn't even think about running away. I thought… I believed that I didn't deserve anything better. That I was meant to be a weapon, his tool, forever." He paused, a faint shiver running through him. "I didn't know what freedom was, and I didn't have the courage to dream about it."
Namhyuk's chest tightened painfully at the sight of his brother's expression—a mixture of resignation and quiet acceptance. "You deserved better than that, Namjoon," he said softly, his voice fierce with conviction. "So much better."
Namjoon didn't respond immediately. Instead, he let out a quiet sigh, as if letting go of a breath he'd been holding for too long. "I had made my peace with it. I thought… if I could protect someone—anyone—then maybe my existence wouldn't be meaningless. Even if it meant being Byung Ho's weapon, I thought that as long as I was able to save one person… that would be enough."
Namhyuk's eyes burned as he listened to his brother's words, his chest aching with a mix of sorrow and anger. "You didn't deserve that life, Namjoon," he repeated, his voice thick. "You weren't just a weapon. You were someone's brother, someone's friend."
Namjoon turned to look at Namhyuk, his eyes glistening with something nameless and raw. "Do you know why I kept doing it? Why I never fought back?" He swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. "Because I thought if I could bear it… if I could carry all that pain and hatred inside me… then maybe no one else would have to."
Namhyuk shook his head slowly, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. "You shouldn't have had to bear it alone. No one should."
Namjoon offered him a sad smile, his gaze turning distant once more. "But I did. And I kept going because… I didn't want anyone else to get hurt. That's the only thing that kept me sane, Namhyuk. That I could protect someone, anyone, from the monster Byung Ho turned me into."
Silence fell between them again, the weight of Namjoon's words hanging heavily in the air. Namhyuk stared at his brother, his heart breaking for the boy who had endured so much pain, so much loneliness, all because he thought he had no other choice.
"But you're not alone anymore, Namjoon," Namhyuk whispered fiercely, squeezing his brother's hand. "You have me now. And I'm not going anywhere."
Namjoon looked at him, a flicker of something soft and uncertain passing through his eyes. "You really want to know everything?" he asked quietly. "Even the parts that will make you hate me?"
Namhyuk shook his head vehemently. "I could never hate you, Namjoon. I want to know because… because I want to understand. Because you're my brother, and I care about you. I want to help you, even if all I can do is listen."
Namjoon stared at him for a long moment, something unspoken passing between them. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Alright," he whispered, his voice trembling. "If you really want to know… then I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything."
Namjoon's gaze shifted, darkening as another name slipped through his lips—one that carried a different weight, a different kind of shadow.
"And then there was Sang Ook…" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "Byung Ho's real son. A weirdo, a twisted soul. He was… unlike anyone else."
Namhyuk noticed the way Namjoon's shoulders tensed at the mere mention of Sang Ook. He waited, sensing that this part of the story was something Namjoon had never shared with anyone before.
"Sang Ook was…" Namjoon paused, searching for the right words. "Meticulous. Manipulative. A complete mystery. One moment, he would show me affection—sick, twisted affection—and the next, he would seethe with a hatred so intense it felt like it could consume everything in its path."
Namhyuk frowned. "Hatred? Why?"
"I never knew," Namjoon confessed softly. "He was… obsessed, I suppose. From the very beginning, he had this fixation on me that I couldn't understand. He would act like I was some precious treasure, only to turn around and treat me like I was nothing."
Namjoon's fingers clenched at his sides as memories resurfaced—memories he'd rather keep buried. "Sang Ook always wanted something from me. I could see it in his eyes… in the way he spoke. He would manipulate me into doing things I never wanted to do, pushing and pulling, twisting my thoughts until I couldn't tell right from wrong anymore."
Namhyuk shivered slightly, imagining the horror of being caught in such a web. "He hurt you, didn't he?" he whispered.
"Hurt?" Namjoon repeated, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "That's putting it lightly. Sang Ook would toy with me like I was his personal plaything. He would tell his men to beat me—no, to beat me to death, Namhyuk. He wanted to see me crawl, to see me broken. But then…" His voice faltered, eyes clouding with the memory. "But then he'd turn around and kill those very people he ordered to harm me. He'd stand over their corpses, covered in blood, and he'd… apologize."
"Apologize?" Namhyuk echoed, incredulous. "For what?"
"For hurting me," Namjoon murmured, his expression distant. "He'd say he was sorry, that it wasn't his intention, that he just wanted me to understand. Then he'd… he'd touch me, softly, like I was something delicate. He'd say he didn't mean it, that I made him do it because I wouldn't listen to him."
Namhyuk felt a wave of revulsion wash over him, but he remained silent, letting Namjoon speak. "He was unpredictable. I never knew what to expect from him. He'd hurt me so badly that I would pass out, and then… then he'd do something that made my skin crawl."
Namjoon's gaze flickered to Namhyuk's, searching his eyes for something—understanding, perhaps, or maybe reassurance. "Once, he had me beaten so severely that I lost consciousness. When I woke up… when I opened my eyes…" Namjoon's voice dropped to a whisper, as if saying it any louder would make the memory even more real. "I found him hovering over me, licking my wounds like some deranged animal."
Namhyuk's stomach churned, horror and anger swirling inside him like a storm. "He… what?" he breathed, barely able to comprehend what he was hearing.
"I was so angry," Namjoon continued, his voice shaking slightly. "I kicked him away with whatever strength I had left and got out of there as fast as I could. I didn't care that I was injured, that I could barely walk. I just wanted to get away from him, to never see his face again."
Namhyuk swallowed hard, trying to keep his own emotions in check. "But he didn't stop, did he?" he asked quietly, already knowing the answer.
"No," Namjoon replied bitterly. "He didn't. When I ignored him, when I refused to play along with whatever sick game he was trying to pull, he… he turned his attention elsewhere."
"Chae Yeong…" Namhyuk whispered, piecing together the implications.
Namjoon nodded, his expression hardening. "His own sister. Sang Ook started spying on Chae Yeong, watching her every move. He knew she didn't love him, not like a sister should. She never treated him like family, never cared for him. But she cared for me… she treated me like I was her real brother."
Namhyuk frowned, confusion etching across his features. "But… you're not really related, are you?"
"No, we're not," Namjoon said softly. "But anyone who didn't know us might have thought we were. I was an orphan with no family, and she… she was the only one who showed me kindness. Even if it was just a little. But to Sang Ook… that was enough to drive him mad with jealousy."
Namhyuk clenched his fists, rage bubbling inside him. "He couldn't stand that you had her attention," he muttered darkly.
"Exactly," Namjoon agreed, a sad smile on his lips. "He hated it. Hated that she looked at me with warmth, hated that she'd smile at me. He wanted that attention for himself, but Chae Yeong… she never gave it to him. So he started using her as another pawn in his twisted games. Watching her, threatening her… trying to provoke me. He thought if he could push me far enough, I'd… I'd give in to him."
"Did you…?" Namhyuk's voice trembled with uncertainty.
"No," Namjoon replied firmly, a sharp edge to his voice. "I never gave in. I could see through him, through everything he was trying to do. I knew he was a psychopath, that he'd never truly cared for anyone but himself. He didn't want love, Namhyuk. He wanted control. And when I refused to give it to him, he spiraled even further."
Namjoon let out a slow breath, his gaze distant once more. "It's strange, isn't it? How love and hatred can coexist so intensely in one person. Sang Ook wanted to possess me, to make me his, but at the same time, he wanted to destroy me. And all because… I wouldn't look at him the way I looked at Chae Yeong. Because I never gave him what he wanted."
Namhyuk reached out, placing a hand on Namjoon's shoulder. "You don't have to talk about him anymore," he murmured softly, seeing the strain on his brother's face.
But Namjoon shook his head slowly. "No, it's okay. I want you to know everything, Namhyuk. I want you to understand… what kind of life I've led. Because if you know, if you truly understand, then maybe… just maybe, I can finally let it go."
Namhyuk nodded silently, his heart aching for his brother. "I'm here, Namjoon," he whispered fiercely. "I'm here, and I'll listen. No matter how dark it gets, I'm not going anywhere."
Namjoon's lips twitched into a small, fragile smile. "Thank you, Namhyuk," he murmured softly, his voice filled with a quiet sincerity that made Namhyuk's heart clench.
And so, Namjoon continued to speak, unraveling the darkness that had consumed him for so long. He spoke of Sang Ook's twisted games, of the cruelty and obsession that had defined their relationship, of the scars left behind by a love that had never been love at all.
Namhyuk listened, his heart breaking with every word, but his resolve never wavering. Because no matter what Sang Ook had done, no matter how deep the wounds ran, Namhyuk would be there.
To listen. To comfort. To remind Namjoon that he wasn't alone.
Namjoon's expression softened, the hard edges of his past momentarily giving way to a gentler emotion as Namhyuk mentioned a name that seemed to bring light to the shadows lingering in his eyes.
"And your sister… Chae Yeong unni," Namhyuk murmured softly, careful not to break the delicate atmosphere.
Namjoon's lips curved into a small smile—one that held both warmth and sadness. "Unni… She was the best person I ever met," he whispered, his voice laced with affection and longing.
"Tell me about her," Namhyuk urged gently, sensing that Chae Yeong was a topic that brought some semblance of peace to Namjoon's tormented soul.
Namjoon's smile widened, his gaze turning distant as he let himself be swept away by the memories. "She was the one who saved me, over and over again… in so many small ways that I never had the chance to thank her for."
Namhyuk remained silent, his attention focused solely on Namjoon's soft words.
"I still remember… I was a child, barely old enough to understand what Byung Ho's world truly meant," Namjoon began, his voice low and steady. "One day, I made a mistake. A small one, really. I accidentally dropped a glass vase in the mansion. Byung Ho's punishment… it was—" Namjoon hesitated,.*walk on that glass pieces you broke, byung ho screaming in anger*, the memory making him shudder involuntarily "—let's just say it was something no child should have to go through."
Namjoon looked up, his eyes shimmering with emotion. "But then Unni came. She stepped between us, took my hand, and said it was her fault. She knew what it meant to take the blame, but she did it anyway. She faced Byung Ho's anger in my place and shielded me from his wrath."
Namhyuk could only imagine the bravery it must have taken for Chae Yeong to confront a man as ruthless as Byung Ho. "She sounds incredible," he murmured.
"She was," Namjoon agreed softly. "Every time Byung Ho would go too far, she would be there. Tending to my wounds when no one else would, sneaking in food when he'd refuse to let me eat… She'd even tell me stories about a world outside of the mansion, where people laughed freely and weren't bound by chains."
Namjoon's gaze softened even further as another memory surfaced. "One day, she took me out—away from the mansion, away from Byung Ho. Just once. She told him it was for business, but… it was just for me."
He smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile that lit up his entire face. "She took me to this big aquarium. It was… the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The vibrant colors of the fish, the way they glided through the water… I felt like I was in a different world. For the first time, I felt free. Unni stood by my side the entire time, smiling as I pressed my hands against the glass, staring in awe. I think that was the only time I was ever truly happy."
Namhyuk's heart ached for his brother, wishing he could have been there to experience that joy with him. "It must have been a special day," he said softly.
"It was," Namjoon murmured, his voice wistful. "The happiest day of my life. I remember thinking… if only I could stay in that moment forever, with Unni by my side, watching those fish swim so freely… I thought, maybe… just maybe, everything would be okay."
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words, with memories that weighed heavily on Namjoon's shoulders. But Namhyuk didn't push. He simply sat there, letting his brother take his time.
"There's more, though," Namjoon continued after a moment, his smile fading slightly. "Unni… she wanted me to have a normal life, or as normal as it could be. So, one day, she introduced me to someone."
Namhyuk's brows furrowed. "Someone?"
"Yes. Her lover—Do Yun." Namjoon's lips twitched into a small, amused smile as he recalled that particular memory. "I didn't know what to expect. I thought he'd be some weakling, someone unworthy of Unni's love. But when I met him…"
Namjoon chuckled softly, shaking his head. "When I met him, I realized he wasn't what I expected. He was confident, straightforward, and—most importantly—he made Unni laugh. That day, during the celebration we had for their anniversary , I pulled him aside."
Namjoon's voice took on a light, almost teasing tone as he recounted the conversation. "I looked him in the eye and said, 'You know, if you ever make Unni cry, or hurt her in any way… I won't let you live.'"
Namhyuk's eyes widened, surprised at the boldness of Namjoon's statement. "You really said that?" he asked incredulously.
Namjoon nodded, a playful glint in his eyes. "I did. But I didn't say it like a threat. I said it in a light-hearted way, like I was joking. Do Yun… he just laughed and replied in the same manner, 'You think you can kill me? I have six brothers who'd tear you apart before you could even touch me!'"
Namjoon's smile grew softer as he continued. "But then he said something I'll never forget. He looked at me seriously and said, 'But I get it. I know what you're trying to say. And I promise… I'll protect her, always. With my life, if I have to.'"
Namhyuk could almost see the scene playing out in his mind—the two men standing there, seemingly exchanging jokes, but underneath it all, acknowledging the deep love and responsibility they both felt for Chae Yeong.
"Do Yun was a good man," Namjoon murmured, his voice filled with quiet admiration. "He wasn't just someone who talked big. He backed up his words with actions. He took care of Unni, supported her, and stood by her side, even when things got difficult. He proved himself, time and time again, that he was the right man for her."
Namhyuk's chest tightened with an odd mixture of happiness and sadness. "It sounds like they were perfect together."
"They were," Namjoon whispered, his smile fading as a shadow of guilt flickered across his face. "They were perfect… until I ruined it."
Namhyuk's heart skipped a beat, the atmosphere shifting abruptly. He swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly as he asked the question that had been on the tip of his tongue since the beginning. "Hyung… why did you kill them?"
Namjoon's entire demeanor changed. His shoulders slumped, his gaze dropping to the ground as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him. "I… I didn't mean to," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I didn't want to…"
Namhyuk waited, his own emotions swirling in a chaotic mess as he watched Namjoon struggle with his words.
"I was pushed," Namjoon continued, his voice breaking. "By Byung Ho… by Sang Ook… by everything. I thought… I thought I was protecting Unni by keeping her away. But in the end, I only brought her closer to danger. And Do Yun… he was also pulled into this.....
Namjoon's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white. "I was blind. I didn't see… couldn't understand Sang ook's plan… until it was too late."
Tears welled up in Namhyuk's eyes as he reached out, gripping Namjoon's shoulder tightly. "It wasn't your fault," he whispered fiercely. "It was never your fault."
Namjoon shook his head slowly, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Maybe… but that doesn't change what I did. I took away the only family I ever had. I… killed them. With my own hands."
The silence that followed was suffocating, filled with pain and regret that couldn't be put into words.
Namhyuk tightened his hold on Namjoon, his voice choked with emotion. "You have me now, Hyung. You're not alone. I'm here, and I'll stay with you. No matter what."
Namjoon didn't reply, but the faintest hint of relief flickered in his eyes as he looked at Namhyuk—his brother, his only family left.
And for the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to hope.
Hope that maybe, just maybe… he could be forgiven.
"What had happened, Hyung? What made you take such drastic steps? " Namhyuk whispered softly, not wanting to push too hard but desperate to know.
Namjoon's jaw tightened, the smile that had appeared earlier completely vanishing. "Sang Ook… that bastard… he's the one who leaked the news of Unni's marriage to Byung Ho."
Namhyuk's eyes widened in shock. "Why would he—"
"Because Unni was supposed to marry someone else. Some mafia head from another family. Byung Ho wanted to use her as a bargaining chip to strengthen his alliances. To him, she was just… a tool. A girl. Not someone worthy of love or happiness."
Namhyuk clenched his fists, anger bubbling inside him as he imagined the pain Chae Yeong must have gone through. "But she married Do Yun… she loved him.
Namjoon nodded slowly, a bitter smile on his lips. "Yeah. She did. It was supposed to be a secret and then at appropriate time,unni would have told her father about her marriage hoping he would forgive her. But when Byung Ho found out… he was furious. He wanted to drag her back and force her to marry that other guy, no matter what it took."
Namhyuk's heart pounded in his chest, dread filling him as he began to understand where this story was heading. "What did you do, Hyung?"
"I overheard Byung Ho talking to his men one day, planning to send out a team to capture her and get her married. I knew… I knew if I didn't do something, Unni and Do Yun's happiness would be shattered forever. So I found her. I told her to run—run far away and never look back," Namjoon whispered, his eyes glazing over with the memory.
"She was afraid. She said if she ran, Byung Ho would turn his wrath on me. But I told her… they needed me. That I could handle it. I just wanted her to be happy."
Namjoon's voice cracked slightly, but he pushed on, determined to finish. "On a fixed date, she and Do Yun were supposed to leave the city. I helped her get to Do Yun… I remember that day so vividly."
A faint, melancholic smile formed on his lips as he continued. "Do Yun was waiting for her, just like he promised. When I brought Unni to him, he had his brothers with him."
Namhyuk's eyes widened. "His brothers?"
Namjoon nodded, his expression turning wistful. "The six brothers he always mentioned… I didn't know it then, but those six brothers were none other than the BTS gang."
Namhyuk's breath caught in his throat. "The BTS gang… they're Do Yun's brothers?!"
"Yes. I didn't realize it at the time. I only knew them as an up-and-coming gang, one that could take over the mafia world if they wanted to. I wanted to meet them, but I couldn't. I had to hurry back to the mansion so I could stall for time—so that Unni and Do Yun could flee without being traced."
Namjoon's gaze darkened, the smile on his face replaced by a grim look. "Byung Ho found out, of course. He was furious. Beat me, punished me… but I didn't care. As long as Unni was safe… nothing else mattered."
"And for two years… they couldn't find her," Namhyuk murmured, piecing together the story. "For two years, you took everything Byung Ho threw at you… because you wanted to protect her."
"Exactly." Namjoon nodded, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "I suffered through it all because… I knew that if I could keep their attention on me, they wouldn't find her. Unni was free. She was happy."
A soft, sad smile tugged at his lips as he recalled the day that had brought him both joy and heartbreak. "And then… one day, I got a call. It was Unni."
Namjoon's eyes lit up with a gentle warmth as he spoke of that phone call. "She sounded so happy. I asked her why she called—if she was okay. She laughed and told me she was more than okay. She told me that she… she had become a mother."
Namhyuk felt a strange sense of joy and sadness wash over him at the same time. "A mother…?"
"Yeah." Namjoon's smile widened, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "She wanted me to meet her baby. She was so excited… said it was the happiest she'd ever been."
Namhyuk's voice was barely above a whisper as he asked, "Did you… did you meet her?"
"Yes." Namjoon nodded, his voice firm. "Do Yun got on the line after that. He suggested that we meet at the BTS gang's house. When I asked him if it will be safe,he laughed and said that they were his brothers. They are the Bts gang. Who would dare cause trouble for them."
Namhyuk's heart swelled with emotion, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. "You met them… you met your unni and Do Yun."
"I did." Namjoon's smile turned wistful, his gaze softening as he remembered. "When I saw her… I felt like everything I'd suffered through had been worth it. She looked so happy… holding her baby. They named him Park Joon-wo. A beautiful name for a beautiful child."
Namjoon's voice grew distant as he continued, "We spent the whole day together… the three of us, with Joon-wo in Unni's arms. The six brothers weren't there—they had urgent work to do. But Do Yun assured me that no one would dare enter the BTS gang's territory. The security was tight. No one could harm them."
Namhyuk could see the joy in Namjoon's eyes as he spoke of that day, but he could also see the underlying sorrow, the pain that was creeping back in.
"It was the happiest I'd been in two years," Namjoon whispered, his voice breaking. "Unni told me everything they'd been through. How they were building a new life together… how Do Yun was taking good care of her. I believed… I believed that I could finally let go of the fear. That they were truly safe."
Namjoon's shoulders slumped as the weight of reality crashed down on him. "I left that day… swearing to myself that nothing—*nothing*—would ever happen to them as long as I was alive."
Namhyuk's heart twisted painfully as he whispered, "But then… on April 23rd…"
Namjoon's expression shattered, his eyes filling with a deep, unfathomable sorrow. "On April 23rd… I… I killed them. With my own hands."
The silence that followed was suffocating, the air thick with pain and regret.
Namjoon's voice trembled as he continued, "I killed the very people I swore to protect. The family I loved more than anything… I destroyed them."
Namhyuk's tears flowed freely now, his heart aching for his brother. " Hyung?....its okay..."he choked out, his voice barely audible.
Namjoon was unable to say anything and kept silent with tears flowing constantly. Namhyuk hold his hand and comforted him while wiping his own tears.
Namjoon's eyes darkened as he stared at his own reflection, his voice filled with a quiet bitterness. "Sang Ook was a monster disguised as a human. His obsession… his control… I never truly escaped it."
Namhyuk frowned, his gaze never leaving Namjoon. He could sense the heaviness in the air, the tension that Namjoon was holding back. "What do you mean?"
Taking a deep breath, Namjoon continued, his voice tinged with pain. "Sang Ook… he had this twisted habit. He liked to *watch* me. Even when I thought I was alone , I never really was. He had hidden cameras everywhere in my room, in the hallways… places I couldn't even imagine."
Namhyuk's brows furrowed in confusion and disgust. "He was watching you?"
"Yeah." Namjoon nodded, his eyes narrowing as if reliving the suffocating feeling of constantly being under surveillance. "There were times when I felt like I could barely breathe, knowing his eyes were on me. But I managed to find some of those cameras and avoided them whenever I had something important to do. I thought… I thought I'd outsmarted him."
"Thought?" Namhyuk echoed softly.
"He had more." Namjoon's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Cameras that I didn't know about. Ones he installed personally. And because of that… he always knew more than I thought."
The silence between them grew thick as Namjoon recalled that fateful night—when everything began to unravel.
"That night, I came back late. It was the day I'd met Unni and Do Yun at the BTS house. I had been so happy… so relieved to see her smile again. But when I got back to the mansion…" Namjoon's voice faltered, a haunted look crossing his face.
"Sang Ook knew something was off."
Namhyuk's eyes widened in surprise. "He found out… so quickly?"
"Yes. He had men watching my every move. It didn't take long for them to piece it together. By the time I slipped into bed, pretending that nothing had happened, Sang Ook was already on to me."
Namjoon's jaw tightened as he continued, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "I should've known better. Should've realized that I couldn't hide anything from him for long."
"What did he do?" Namhyuk asked softly, his voice hesitant.
Namjoon's eyes closed as if he could still feel the bruises forming under his skin. "He sent his men to dig up information. It only took them a few hours to uncover what I'd tried so hard to protect."
Namjoon's gaze grew distant as he recalled the moment everything began to fall apart. "They heard from some of the BTS brothers, talking to their friends. They said… their older brother had returned."
Namhyuk sucked in a sharp breath, his hands clenched into tight fists. "Park Do Yun…"
"Yes." Namjoon's voice was barely a whisper. "They connected the dots. Sang Ook's men told him about it, and he… he went straight to Byung Ho."
Namjoon's face twisted in a mixture of anger and frustration. "Sang Ook told Byung Ho that his daughter was back… that Chae Yeong was back in the city."
Namhyuk shook his head slowly, disbelief written all over his face. "What did Byung Ho say?"
Namjoon let out a bitter chuckle, his gaze hardening. "I had followed Sang Ook that night when he talked with his father. At first, he was enraged. Just hearing Unni's name sent him into a frenzy. He still held a grudge, even after all these years. But then… he stopped."
"Stopped?" Namhyuk echoed in confusion.
"Yes." Namjoon's eyes narrowed, his voice filled with contempt. "He softened. I thought I'd misheard him, but no… he actually told Sang Ook to *leave her alone*. He said that she had no connection to them anymore. That if she was married, there was nothing they could do."
Namhyuk's eyes widened in shock. "He just… gave up?"
"He did." Namjoon's voice was strained, the memory of that moment still fresh in his mind. "And Sang Ook… he couldn't stand it. It wasn't what he wanted. He wanted Byung Ho's approval, wanted him to demand that she be brought back… that she be punished. But instead…"
"Sang Ook decided to take matters into his own hands," Namhyuk whispered, finishing the thought.
"Exactly." Namjoon's expression darkened as he recalled the terrifying turn of events. "He later came to my room that night. I didn't even hear him come in… I was sleeping."
Namhyuk's heart tightened in his chest as he imagined the scene. "What did he do?"
"He beat me." Namjoon's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "He beat me so harshly… it felt like my bones were breaking. I was so disoriented… confused. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already on the ground, trying to shield myself."
Namjoon's gaze turned cold as he recounted the brutal attack. "It wasn't just a regular beating. Sang Ook was furious. He kept shouting… saying things like 'How dare you go behind my back'… 'You think you can hide from me?'"
Namhyuk's breath caught in his throat. "And you couldn't fight back…?"
Namjoon shook his head slowly. "I couldn't. I was barely awake when he started. Everything was a blur. And then… he ordered his men to lock me up."
Namhyuk's eyes widened in shock. "Locked you up… where?"
"In the cellar." Namjoon's voice was a mere whisper. "A dark, cold place… far away from the rest of the mansion. I could barely see anything down there. They threw me inside and locked the door, leaving me to bleed out on the floor."
Namhyuk's hands shook with anger. "That bastard…"
"It was Sang Ook's way of punishing me," Namjoon continued, his voice steady despite the pain lacing his words. "He wanted me to suffer, to feel helpless. But… he didn't realize that I'd managed to take my phone with me."
Namhyuk's eyes widened in surprise. "Your phone…?"
"Yes. I slipped it into my pocket when they were dragging me down. I don't know how they didn't notice… but it was my only lifeline."
Namhyuk could barely breathe as he listened, his mind racing with a thousand possibilities. "So… you tried to call someone?"
"No." Namjoon shook his head. "I didn't know who I could trust at that point. Sang Ook's reach was too wide. Instead… I tried to think. To figure out what had gone wrong."
Namhyuk's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Sang Ook beating me… that was normal. He did it all the time. But there was something different about this time. Something… off."
Namjoon's gaze grew distant as he recalled the fear that had gripped him in that dark, suffocating cellar. "It wasn't until hours later that it hit me… that I realized what had gone wrong."
Namhyuk leaned forward, his heart pounding. "What was it?"
Namjoon's eyes met his, filled with a deep, unshakeable fear. "I remembered the conversation I had with the Do Yun… he told me that his brothers went outside.. Surely the brothers don't know the real situation of unni and do yun....they must have mistakenly mentioned their older brother...it all started to make sense… and a shiver ran down my spine."
Namhyuk's breath caught in his throat. "They found out… about Chae Yeong?"
"Yes." Namjoon's voice trembled as he spoke. "That's when I knew… they knew everything. And if they knew… Unni and Do Yun were in danger. I tried calling them but no one picked up. I tried again and again but neither unni not do yun picked. I had no one else to call for help. No contacts other than those two. "
A heavy silence fell over them, the weight of Namjoon's words sinking in.
Namjoon's voice dropped to a low whisper, his gaze never leaving Namhyuk's. "That night… I realized that I was the one who led them straight to her."
Tears welled up in Namhyuk's eyes, his heart aching for his brother. "Hyung… it's not your fault."
Namjoon's lips twisted into a bitter smile, his eyes filled with a deep, haunting sorrow. "But it is, Namhyuk. It is."
And for the first time in years, Namjoon allowed himself to cry—tears of regret, of pain, of a love lost to the cruel hands of fate.
Namjoon's voice trembled as he recalled the events of that night, his fists tightening. He forced himself to breathe, to keep his voice steady, but it was difficult. The pain, the guilt—it all came rushing back as he looked down at his hands, hands that had once held his sister as she drew her last breath.
"By the time I realized what Sang Ook was up to, it was too late…" he murmured, his eyes darkening with the weight of his past. "He had found out about Unni and Do Yun. I knew he'd never let it go. Sang Ook… he's not the type to forgive and forget."
Namjoon paused, his throat tightening as he remembered the madness in Sang Ook's eyes that night. **The way he smiled, the twisted satisfaction on his face.** It had been seared into his memory, a permanent scar.
"He spread a lie—a terrible, twisted lie," Namjoon continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "He told everyone that I'd betrayed Byung Ho and the entire family. He spread the news that I was to be executed in a few days, for everyone to see. He made sure the word reached the ears of my sister, Chae Yeong…"
---
Chae Yeong had been at home when she heard the news. The BTS gang had been called away urgently on some business, and for a few brief hours, she'd been alone with Do Yun and their baby boy, Park Joon-wo. It was then a few calls came for BTS which Do Yun received.
"Mr.Jin your biggest enemy Byung ho's main one man army -Casseo Mors will be excited today. This will be an event to celebrate for you."
Do Yun cut the call as he got shockee. He knew Caseeo mors was none other than Namjoon.
"Namjoon… betrayed Byung Ho?" Chae Yeong had whispered in disbelief, clutching her baby closer to her chest. The messenger's words were like a knife to her heart. Her brother would never—could never do such a thing.
"He'll be executed soon," Do Yun said with pity and worry in his voice. "
Chae Yeong had barely waited a moment before making up her mind. Despite Do Yun's protests, despite the fear that gnawed at her heart, she couldn't let Namjoon suffer alone. She had to see him, to make sure he was safe. She'd gone without telling the BTS gang, knowing they'd try to stop her.
But when they arrived at Byung Ho's estate, what greeted them was not Namjoon chained and awaiting death. It was a garden, filled with roses blooming under the moonlight, and Sang Ook's sinister smile welcoming them like an old friend.
"Ah, Chae Yeong," he'd murmured, spreading his arms wide as if inviting her into an embrace. "What a surprise. I didn't think you'd come all this way for that ungrateful traitor."
"Where is he, Sang Ook?" Chae Yeong demanded. "What have you done to my brother?"
They had hidden Joon wo in the car when they came. They can't reveal about Joon wo. Never.
Sang Ook's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with something dark and dangerous. "Why so impatient? I haven't done anything to him. Yet."
"Then release him!" she pleaded, desperation lacing her voice. "He's done nothing wrong. He—"
"He's betrayed us!" Byung Ho's voice boomed across the garden, cutting her off. He stood in the shadows, his face a mask of fury and disdain. "He went behind our backs. He met with you—his *sister*—when he was forbidden to do so. He's brought shame to this family, Chae Yeong."
"No," Chae Yeong whispered, shaking her head frantically. "That's not true. He—"
But Sang Ook's laughter drowned out her protests. "It's useless, Chae Yeong. There's no point in trying to defend him. He's nothing but a traitor. And now… now you've come back, just like I knew you would."
Before Chae Yeong could react, Sang Ook pulled a syringe from his pocket. The needle gleamed ominously under the moonlight, the liquid inside a sickly shade of green.
"What… what is that?" she stammered, stepping back instinctively. Do Yun moved in front of her protectively, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Sang Ook.
"Stay back," Do Yun warned, his voice low and dangerous.
But Sang Ook only smiled wider. "This? This is just a little something I've been saving. For traitors and those who associate with them."
In one swift motion, Sang Ook lunged forward, shoving the syringe into Do Yun's arm. Chae Yeong screamed, trying to pull Do Yun away, but Sang Ook was too quick. With a cold, unfeeling precision, he turned and injected the second syringe into Chae Yeong's neck.
"No!" Namjoon's voice rang out, filled with raw, desperate fear as he stumbled out of the shadows. His clothes were torn, his face smeared with dirt and blood from his struggle to escape. He'd managed to break free, his body battered and broken, only to witness this—this nightmare unfolding before his eyes.
"Unni!" he screamed, his voice cracking as he ran toward her. "Unni, no—please!"
But Chae Yeong was already falling. She crumpled to the ground, Do Yun collapsing beside her, his body convulsing in pain. Namjoon barely managed to catch his sister in his arms, his heart hammering wildly in his chest.
"Unni… Unni, no… No, no, no…" He choked on his sobs, his hands shaking as he cradled her close. "Please, stay with me… don't… don't leave me…"
Chae Yeong's face twisted in agony, her breaths coming in short, shallow gasps. She reached up weakly, her trembling fingers brushing against Namjoon's cheek. "J-Joon… protect… him…"
"Wh-what?" Namjoon whispered, his voice breaking. "Unni, please—don't talk. Just… just hang on. I-I'll get you out of here. I'll—"
"Joon-wo," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "He is in car...You… must… protect him… at all costs. He's… not like us… He… needs you…"
Namjoon's eyes widened, his heart clenching painfully as he looked down at the baby in Chae Yeong's arms. "Unni, no—don't say that. I can't… I can't leave you."
"Joon-wo… can't fall into their hands," Chae Yeong murmured, her gaze unfocused as tears slipped down her cheeks. "Please… promise me…"
Namjoon's entire body shook with the force of his sobs. "I—I promise," he whispered, his voice hoarse and broken. "I'll protect him. I'll keep him safe. But please… don't leave me. Don't—"
"We're… not going… to make it," Do Yun rasped from beside him, his voice filled with pain. "Namjoon… it's poison. A slow, painful death… We can't… survive this."
"No!" Namjoon cried, shaking his head frantically. "No, there must be something—there must be—"
"Namjoon," Do Yun said softly, his gaze steady despite the pain etched on his face. "Please… just end it. End it by your hands. Please....Don't let us… die like this. Not by the hands of our enemy."
Namjoon froze, horror washing over him like a tidal wave. "No… no, I can't… I can't do that. I can't…"
"Namjoon," Chae Yeong whispered, her voice faint and trembling. "Please… it's… the only way."
Tears blurred Namjoon's vision as he looked between them—his sister, the one person he'd sworn to protect, and Do Yun, the man who had loved her despite everything. They were asking him to kill them… to end their suffering.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms so hard they drew blood. He wanted to scream, to beg them to hold on, but the sight of their pain… it was unbearable.
"Okay," he whispered, his voice barely a breath. "I'll… I'll do it."
He reached out with trembling hands, his fingers brushing against the pressure points on their necks. His heart shattered as he applied just enough force to stop their breathing. Chae Yeong's eyes fluttered shut, a single tear slipping down her cheek.
"Thank… you…" she whispered, her voice fading as darkness claimed her.
And then… silence. A deafening, suffocating silence.
Namjoon fell to his knees, his body trembling uncontrollably as he clutched his sister's lifeless form. He had done it. He had killed them.
Sang Ook's laughter echoed through the night, a cruel, mocking sound that pierced Namjoon's very soul.
"You see, Namjoonie?" Sang Ook taunted, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "In the end, you're the one who killed them. Not me. You."
Namjoon's heart twisted painfully, his chest tightening as he held Chae Yeong closer, tears streaming down his face.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" he sobbed, his voice breaking. "Unni… Do Yun… I'm so, so sorry…"
The atmosphere grew tense as Namjoon's words hung in the air. Namhyuk's heart raced, struggling to process everything he'd just heard. His mind was a storm of confusion and disbelief.
"What do you mean by 'not like us'?" Namhyuk finally asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Namjoon glanced up, a faint smile playing on his lips despite the tears that continued to fall silently down his cheeks. He gently wiped them away, a look of sorrow mixed with something else—resignation, perhaps.
"My sister… Chae Yeong… she was a half-hybrid," he murmured softly. "And I always knew that I had a hybrid core inside me, one that would awaken and transform me into a hybrid sooner or later."
Namhyuk's eyes widened in shock. "Chae Yeong… a half-hybrid?!" He looked at Namjoon in utter disbelief. How could that be? Chae Yeong, the one who was so kind, so gentle, so… human?
Namjoon nodded, seeing the confusion and disbelief in Namhyuk's eyes. "Yes… I know it's hard to believe. But it's true."
Namhyuk remained silent, trying to piece together everything he'd heard. His mind spun as he thought back to the countless things he'd overlooked, the pieces of the puzzle that had never quite fit. And then, suddenly, it hit him like a bolt of lightning.
"Don't tell me…" Namhyuk's voice trailed off as he stared at Namjoon, his gaze searching, desperate. "Sang Ook… Sang Ook is also a half-hybrid?"
Namjoon's expression darkened, his jaw clenching as he nodded. "Yes… that bastard is a half-hybrid too," he spat out, his voice filled with venom. He looked at Namhyuk with a knowing gaze, as if he could see right through him—see his thoughts, his fears, everything.
Namhyuk swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he spoke again. "That poison… it was from Sang Ook, wasn't it? The one he used on you… on Chae Yeong… and… and Min Ho?"
Namjoon sighed deeply, the sound filled with a lifetime's worth of pain and regret. "Yes," he admitted quietly. "The poison Sang Ook used on us—on Chae Yeong and the others—came from his own powers. His abilities are derived from the Lycantyx plant. A mutant species that was created in Pyung Ho's lab."
"Lycantyx…" Namhyuk echoed softly, the name sending a shiver down his spine. "What kind of plant is that?"
Namjoon took a deep breath, forcing himself to continue. "It's a rare hybrid plant with dual properties. Sang Ook inherited the power of the poisonous flower, the **'Blood Bloom,'** from it. It's lethal, slow-acting, and there's no known antidote for its effects. Once it's inside your system, it corrodes and shreds your organs… bit by bit. It's a power meant for death and destruction."
Namhyuk shuddered at the thought, but Namjoon wasn't done.
"Chae Yeong, on the other hand, inherited the power of the **'Luminara Petal'** from the same plant," he explained, his voice softening at the mention of his sister. "The Luminara Petal's essence could heal any external wound, no matter how severe. It's why Chae Yeong always had such a gentle, calming aura around her. Her powers were meant for life and protection, the complete opposite of Sang Ook's."
"Blood Bloom… and Luminara Petal," Namhyuk whispered, his mind racing. One for evil, one for good. And yet, they came from the same source. Just like Sang Ook and Chae Yeong—born from the same mother, but so vastly different.
"Pyung Ho… their mother… she was a mutant plant hybrid created in his lab," Namjoon continued, his gaze distant as if he was seeing something far away. "Byung Ho took a liking to her and abused her until she had no choice but to marry him forcefully. Sang Ook and Chae Yeong… they were the result of that union, but they were complete opposites. Light and dark, good and evil."
Namhyuk's fists clenched at his sides. He felt a surge of anger—anger at the cruelty of it all. At the twisted fate that had bound these two siblings together and torn them apart in such a horrific way.
"Namjoon…" he began hesitantly, his voice breaking through the silence. "Seokjin said he reached there… that night. But you say no one came. How… how is that possible?"
Namjoon's gaze flickered at the mention of Seokjin's name. He looked down, his hands trembling slightly. "That night… I was blinded by anger," he whispered, his voice tight with emotion. "When I saw my unni dead..in my arms, I… I lost control. I started beating them, both of them—father and son. I wanted to kill them with my own hands."
He swallowed hard, his voice thick with pain. "And I would have… if I hadn't heard the sound of fighting outside. Gunshots… screams… I was afraid for Joon-wo, for the little baby who was caught in the middle of all this chaos. So I left Sang Ook and Byung Ho half-dead on the ground and went to find him. I had to get him out, had to keep him safe."
Namhyuk listened in silence, tears welling up in his eyes. He could see it—the desperation, the pain, the fear that had driven Namjoon to such lengths.
"But a few of Byung Ho's loyal men cornered me before I could escape with Joon-wo," Namjoon continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I knew… there was only one way left to protect him."
Namjoon's gaze turned inward, as if recalling a memory too painful to bear. "I broke my own hybrid core," he said softly. "I read about it in one of the old books Chae Yeong brought me. If a hybrid breaks their core and gives it to someone else, any wound inflicted on that person will be transferred to the one who gave the core. That way… I can sense Joon-wo's pain. I can protect him… even without being by his side."
Namhyuk's breath hitched, the realization hitting him like a punch to the gut. "So that's why…" he murmured, his voice shaking. "That's why you always felt the need to protect him, even when you didn't remember…"
Namjoon nodded slowly. "I saw Hana that night. I knew she was someone who had helped the BTS gang before, someone who had opposed Byung Ho. I trusted her, even if it was only partially. I gave Joon-wo to her and then lured Byung Ho's men towards me. I was already injured, utterly exhausted from extracting my hybrid core… but I had to keep going. Had to make sure Joon-wo was safe."
Namhyuk's tears flowed freely now, his heart aching for the brother in front of him. For everything he had endured, for all the sacrifices he had made.
"You trusted Hana… but what if she hadn't protected him?" Namhyuk asked, his voice barely audible.
Namjoon smiled sadly. "I knew Joon-wo would be safe. No one can hurt him while I'm alive. Because if anyone causes him harm, he won't feel the pain. I will. And I'll know… I'll know that Joon-wo is in danger."
Namhyuk looked at Namjoon in awe, his chest tightening with emotion. "You did all that… for him…?"
Namjoon nodded, his gaze distant. "It was the best I could do. I was injured and weak… I took shelter and rested for the night. The next day, I heard that Byung Ho's entire gang was annihilated overnight. Someone did what I couldn't… but I didn't care. I had one purpose left. To find Joon-wo .I started destroying Byung Ho's factories and companies one by one. I tried to trace Joon wo but Hana informed me that she gave the child to BTS leader -Mr. Jin. "
Namjoon's voice grew quieter, almost as if he were speaking to himself. " When i was destroying Byung ho's companies so as to lure the father son duo out of their hiding bill... I realized… I wasn't the only one on a rampage. Someone else was out there, destroying Byung Ho's assets just like I was. And then I remembered… Do Yun's six brothers. It had to be them."
"I instantly thought of taking Joon-wo back from them," Namjoon murmured, his gaze hardening. "And I wanted to confront them. I wanted to know… what was so important that they left Chae Yeong and Do Yun to die… because of which… I had to do *that* to them…"
He trailed off, his voice breaking. Namhyuk reached out, his hand trembling as he placed it gently on Namjoon's shoulder.
"What happened then?" Namhyuk whispered softly.
Namjoon closed his eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "I was in one of Byung Ho's buildings, destroying it… killing the men inside… when a bomb went off. I was caught in the explosion and got hurt badly. The impact made me lose my memories… and I woke up not knowing who I was… until I met the BTS gang."
Namhyuk's tears fell silently, his heart aching for the brother who had endured so much. "Namjoon…" he whispered brokenly, his voice thick with emotion.
Namjoon looked up at him, his eyes filled with pain, with regret… and with a glimmer of hope. "I'm sorry, Namhyuk… for everything. For not being there… for putting you through this."
Namhyuk shook his head, his tears falling freely now. "No… I'm sorry, Namjoon. For not knowing… for not understanding."
Namjoon felt like his whole world had ended. Everything he had held onto, every single reason he had found to keep fighting, was stripped away. His breaths came out in slow, ragged puffs as he sat in the crystalline mind space, staring blankly at nothing. The void surrounded him, echoing his broken resolve. It was a reflection of his state—empty, lifeless.
Across from him, Namhyuk watched his elder brother with a twisted mixture of anger and helplessness. His fists were clenched tight, nails digging into his palms. He hated seeing Namjoon like this. It wasn't the strong-willed Namjoon who could endure any pain and stand tall for those he loved. This was a ghost—a hollow shell of a man who had given up.
"I don't care," Namhyuk growled, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "I won't back down. I'll never give up! They hurt you, hyung. They took everything from you, and now they want to destroy everything else. I'll kill them for what they did to you! I'll make them pay!"
Namjoon only sighed, shoulders slumping even further. "I'm tired, Namhyuk," he whispered. "I'm tired of fighting… tired of seeing everyone get hurt… tired of being the reason for all this pain." His eyes, once vibrant and full of life, were now dull. "I just want it to end. I don't have the strength to keep going."
Namhyuk shook his head furiously. "But I do! I still have the strength to keep going! You may have given up, but I won't let them get away with it! I'll make them suffer for every single tear you shed! I—"
"No, Namhyuk," Namjoon interrupted quietly. His voice was soft, but there was a firmness in it that cut through Namhyuk's anger. "I can't bear to see you get hurt too. I can't see anyone else suffer because of me. I've lost too much already. I won't lose you too."
Namhyuk's chest heaved with his uneven breathing. He looked at Namjoon with wide, desperate eyes, tears threatening to spill. He felt like a child again, helpless and unable to protect the one person who mattered the most to him. "Hyung, don't you see? They won't stop… not until we take them down ourselves. We have to fight. If we don't, they'll hurt more people. They'll hurt *Joon-wo*."
Namjoon flinched at the mention of the child. Joon-wo's innocent face flashed in his mind, causing a fresh wave of pain to wash over him. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head.
"Who is Joon-wo going to rely on if you give up?" Namhyuk continued, voice trembling. "Who's going to protect him? He's just a kid, hyung. He needs you."
Namjoon's body trembled. He opened his eyes slowly, filled with a deep, haunting sorrow. "I… I don't have anything left to give, Namhyuk. Everything I did to protect Chae-yeong and Do-yun... it all led to their deaths. I wasn't strong enough to save them. Now, I'm scared—scared that if I try to protect Joon-wo, I'll only end up causing him more pain."
Namhyuk let out a choked sob, dropping to his knees in front of Namjoon. "That's not true, hyung. You've protected so many. You gave me a reason to keep fighting. If you're gone, what do I have left? What does Joon-wo have left?" He reached out, grabbing Namjoon's hands in his own trembling ones. "Please, hyung… don't give up on us. Don't give up on yourself."
The silence between them stretched for what felt like an eternity. Namjoon stared at their joined hands, feeling the warmth in Namhyuk's grip. It was comforting, but it was also a painful reminder of everything he had lost.
"I… I just want to die," Namjoon whispered, his voice cracking. "I want it all to end."
Namhyuk's shoulders sagged as he felt a crushing sense of defeat wash over him. He lay down beside Namjoon, pulling him into a tight embrace. "If that's what you want… then I'll stay with you, hyung," he murmured softly. "I'll go with you. But… but what if Sang Ook harms others? What if he hurts Joon-wo? You know how dangerous Sang Ook is. Even now, do we really know who he is? We don't even know his real face."
Namjoon's eyes flickered at that. He slowly shook his head. "No. I've never seen his face. He always wore a mask. He… he liked to call himself 'Casseo Mors'—'Blue Kill.'" He let out a bitter laugh. "Later, he gave me that name too. That's what Byung Ho started calling me in front of everyone else. 'Casseo Mors,' like a twisted joke. But none of that matters now, does it?"
"Hyung, it matters!" Namhyuk insisted. "It matters because they're still out there, plotting and scheming. What do they really want? What is Sang Ook after?"
Namjoon sighed, looking away. "Byung Ho wants the hybrid core to treat his son. Sang Ook… Sang Ook wants me. He wants to break me, to make me his. He wants me to be submissive, to be his slave, to be by his side all the time." He closed his eyes, a shudder running through his body. "That's why… if we die… then Sang Ook will have nothing left to fight for. He won't have any reason to hurt anyone else."
Namhyuk's eyes widened in horror. "No! You can't mean that! Hyung, we can't just let him win!"
Namjoon's voice was barely a whisper. "It's not about winning or losing, Namhyuk. It's about protecting everyone else. All this time… all this suffering… it's because of me. Everything Sang Ook has done—every life he's taken—was to get to me. He used me, twisted me into a weapon. He made me kill people with my own hands. I've already become the monster he wanted. If I'm gone, he won't have any reason to continue."
Namhyuk's heart clenched painfully. Tears streamed down his face as he clung to Namjoon. "No, hyung… don't say that. You're not a monster. You're not… please…"
Namjoon gently placed a hand on Namhyuk's head, his touch trembling. "It's okay, Namhyuk. This time… I must die… so that others remain protected. You can live without me. You're strong enough to survive."
Namhyuk shook his head violently, burying his face in Namjoon's chest. "No… I can't. Not without you…"
Namjoon looked at Namhyuk, his gaze soft but filled with sorrow. "What about you, Hyuk-ah?" he asked quietly, his voice trembling with the weight of everything they had just discussed.
Namhyuk blinked, taken aback for a moment. "Huh? Me? What about me?" he replied, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Namjoon sighed deeply, his heart heavy with guilt. "I'm done, Namhyuk. I can't go back. But… you still can. You don't have to be stuck here like me. You still have a life ahead of you."
At those words, Namhyuk let out a bitter, humorless laugh, shaking his head as tears welled in his eyes. "Hyung, you're wrong," he said softly, his voice cracking. "You still have people out there who care about you… who want you. But for me? There's no one. What would I even go back for?"
Namjoon's heart clenched painfully at Namhyuk's words. He could hear the loneliness, the deep sense of abandonment in his brother's voice, and it shattered him. "Don't say that, Hyuk," he murmured. "What about Dae Jung and Min Ho? They're still—"
Namhyuk cut him off with a bitter laugh, wiping at his eyes as tears finally fell. "Dae Jung and Min Ho?" he repeated, shaking his head again. "Hyung, you don't get it, do you? It's not that simple. What am I supposed to do with this… this *one-sided love*?" His voice broke as he spoke, the raw pain evident in every word. "They love each other, not me. And I can't—" His voice trembled. "I *can't* destroy what they have. I'm not that kind of guy. I would never want to come between them."
Namjoon stared at him, unable to speak as guilt consumed him. He had always known that Namhyuk carried feelings for Dae Jung but hearing his brother speak about it with such anguish left him at a loss for words.
"It's better this way," Namhyuk continued, his voice hollow. "It's better if I just leave them forever. They'll be happier without me hanging around, pretending like everything's fine when it's not. I don't belong in their world. I never did."
Namjoon reached out, gently placing a hand on Namhyuk's shoulder. "Hyuk…"
Namhyuk's lips quivered as more tears fell, but he still smiled—a sad, broken smile that made Namjoon's heart ache even more. "Don't feel bad for me, hyung," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "It's not your fault. This is just how it is. Dae Jung and Min Ho… they have each other, and that's all that matters. I don't want to ruin that. I won't ruin that. So it's better if I just… disappear."
Namjoon's throat tightened. He had always seen Namhyuk as the stronger one, the one with boundless energy and determination. But now, seeing his brother so vulnerable, so heartbroken, it was like watching his entire world fall apart all over again. "But, Hyuk, what about *you*?" Namjoon asked, his voice hoarse. "You deserve to be happy too. You deserve to have someone who loves you."
Namhyuk shook his head, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "Maybe… maybe I'm just not meant to be loved like that," he whispered, his voice breaking again. "Maybe my place is just… to be alone. And I'm okay with that, hyung. I really am. As long as the people I care about are happy, that's enough for me."
Namjoon felt a sharp pang in his chest as he listened to Namhyuk's words. "You don't have to do this alone," he whispered. "You don't have to disappear. We can find a way, together."
Namhyuk smiled weakly through his tears. "I love you, hyung," he whispered, his voice filled with so much emotion that it almost broke Namjoon. "But I don't want to be the reason you keep suffering. And I don't want to be the reason Dae Jung and Min Ho aren't happy. It's better if I let them go. It's better if I let *everything* go."
Namjoon's hand tightened on Namhyuk's shoulder, a desperate plea for him to stay, to hold on. But Namhyuk's decision was already made. He had chosen to walk away from the love he could never have, and Namjoon knew there was nothing he could say to change his mind.
"Hyuk," Namjoon whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't want you to be alone."
Namhyuk's smile faltered for a moment before he nodded, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I know, hyung," he whispered back. "But sometimes… being alone is the only way to keep everyone else safe."
And with those words, the silence between them deepened, each brother lost in their own heartbreak, each clinging to the other in the only way they knew how. Namhyuk, who had always been so full of life, was now as broken as Namjoon.
And there, in the quiet, crystalline mind space, Namhyuk and Namjoon held each other, both broken and lost, neither wanting to let go, but both knowing that the end was drawing near. The fight between them had ended, but outside, in the real world, the true battle was just beginning. Sang Ook and Byung Ho had no idea what was coming for them. Namjoon may have given up, but Namhyuk… he was still very much alive. He wanted to do something for his brother. His only family. And he had decided ....
---
**Outside the crystal mind space…**
Sang Ook sat in the lavish drawing room, a twisted smile playing on his lips as he leisurely sipped his tea. Byung Ho, on the other hand, paced back and forth, his face flushed with anger.
"You've gone and ruined everything!" Byung Ho snarled, glaring at his son. "Changing the plan without telling me? Our original goal was to corner Namhyuk, make him break down enough that he'd try to end himself. *Then* we could have taken his core. But no, you had to play your twisted games! Now everything's falling apart."
Sang Ook merely shrugged, his expression infuriatingly calm. "Father, you worry too much. We'll still get what we want. Namjoon's core is ours for the taking. It's just a matter of time."
Byung Ho clenched his teeth, his hands curling into fists. "Time isn't something we have in abundance. You know that, don't you? The doctors said your heart condition—*Cor Unus Syndrom*—is deteriorating. We need that core now, or—"
"I'm well aware," Sang Ook interrupted, his gaze turning cold. "But it's not just about the core anymore, Father. I want Namjoon to break. Completely. I want him to beg, to be submissive to me in a way he never was before. He defied me, made me feel insignificant. And I won't stand for it."
Byung Ho growled in frustration. "And what good will that do? What if it costs us more than we gain? You've already lost your sister for this madness!"
Sang Ook's expression darkened, a flash of something dangerous flickering in his eyes. "Chae Yeong's death… was unfortunate. But necessary. Namjoon needed to see that he has no one left. No one but me. He'll come to understand that, eventually."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Then I'll just have to keep pushing until he does," Sang Ook murmured, his lips curling into a sadistic smile. "After all, I've been to the place where your dear friends, Seokjin and the others, went. I know exactly where it is. I could go there right now and bring them back here—make Namjoon watch as they're torn apart, one by one. Imagine the look on his face as he realizes he's helpless to save them."
Byung Ho stared at his son in disbelief, a shiver running down his spine. Sang Ook's eyes gleamed with a sick, twisted joy, his fingers tracing the rim of his cup absentmindedly.
"You're insane," Byung Ho muttered, shaking his head. "Completely insane."
"Maybe," Sang Ook said softly, a cold smile on his lips. "But that doesn't matter. Because in the end, Namjoon will be mine. I'll have his core, his loyalty, his very soul. And there's nothing anyone can do to stop me."
But what Sang Ook didn't realize was that Namjoon and Namhyuk were no longer divided. They were no longer two separate entities. They had reunited in the crystal mind space, becoming something new, something stronger.
And they will come for him...
Because the storm was coming.
And Sang Ook and Byung Ho… they wouldn't know what hit them.